Menopause is no joke.
According to Menopause Charity, the debilitating symptoms have caused up to 900,000 women to leave their jobs. Symptoms include hot flashes, brain fog, and mood swings.
With such serious stats, you'd think that more people would talk about it.
Well, singer Rod Stewart is here to change all that by spreading awareness. In a new interview, he said that men should be educated about menopause.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you'd know that he's one of the most legendary singers around. He's known for his hits "Do You Think I'm Sexy," "Maggie May," and "All For Love."
If you noticed the "Sir" in his name, that's not just for show.
He was honored in the Queen's birthday honors list for his services to music and charity. Stewart said he was on "cloud nine" after receiving the honor and wished his parents had been there to see it.
The pair have been married for 14 years now.
Together, they have two sons, Alastair and Aiden, ages 15 and 10, respectively. Rod also has six other children from previous relationships.
A lot of this has to do with intimacy. "I'm not talking about sex, but a kiss and a cuddle and a hold," he said.
"Penny and I do that every morning. We hug each other — sometimes in bed, sometimes out of bed, all throughout the day."
The 76-year-old has admitted how "frightening" it was to see his wife suffering through symptoms last year.
He made these comments recently while speaking to ITV’s Loose Women.
“She was in a fragile situation. I just had to listen and learn and get ready for saucepans being thrown through the kitchen," he continued. He went on to say that the experience was "frightening.'
Penny opened up about some of these experiences while campaigning for support for women going through menopause.
She also wants to see hormone replacement therapy (HRT) being offered for free.
One particular incident happened when she was cooking dinner one night.
"I just screamed and burst into tears. The boys came and hugged me. Rod said, ‘Just give mummy a minute’. So, we’re lucky that we’ve got that open discussion," she said.
"We talked about it, which I think is the most important thing a couple can do, and she explained to me – through the tears, as Penny likes a cry – and talked it through, and that’s what couples do.”
“Absolutely – it’s a very good way to go. Men have got to get on with it, understand and come out the other end.”
If he does, he said that he has some advice for them. He would “tell them to be understanding” if menopausal issues arose. “Some of them should have that talk right now.”
